Shamrock
by QuiteQuiet
Summary: An annual practice baffles Weiss, leaving her isolated and pained until Ruby enlightens her.


_**Author's Note: Hey all, I got this little fic idea after completely forgetting Saint Patrick's Day. Luckily it was university, so no one pinched me for it.**_

_**This is technically a White Rose story, though it could be interpreted otherwise. While I ship it, it doesn't make sense to me unless it takes them years to even realize they're falling in love. I also don't think they'd be attracted to each other at all in the beginning, so in most of my stories they're not together. But, take from this what you will.**_

* * *

Weiss had noticed, observer that she was, that the color green had suddenly bloomed across campus. Everywhere she turned there was green on the students, some in tops or jeans—how tacky, Weiss thought, looking at the seafoam-toned shorts on one classmate. Others dressed more subtly, wearing armbands or scarves. They milled about Beacon that mildly chilly Saturday, engaging in a joke Weiss had failed to hear.

"Yoink!"

Weiss jumped at the nip of pain that struck her arm. She turned to see Nora with Ren, the orange-haired girl grinning widely.

"Did you just pinch me?"

"Well, yeah!" said Nora in her usual energetic way. "I mean, I did the whole scope and everything, to make sure you weren't wearing any green—"

"You were watching me?"

"Well, yeah, but not _watching_ you watching you, more like following you around for a bit to see if you had any green on you today. And you didn't, so I figured, you know what that means."

"I don't," said Weiss.

Nora giggled, her teeth showing. "Well, then it looks like you forgot what day it was! Or you decided to be brave. I mean, getting pinched by hundreds of kids in-training to be Hunters and Huntresses, yeesh!"

"Ow!" said Weiss, as another nip hit her on the elbow in a passing wave of students.

"So I made sure to wear this bracelet I got last year!" Nora flourished a beaded ring of jades on her wrist. "And Ren always wears green so he was safe, but today he got extra-festive and put on this shamrock!" Lifting a foot she slid to him, throwing out her arms to display the tiny metal plant pinned to his coat.

"Nora," said Ren a moment later. "I don't think she knows what you're talking about."

Nora's head whipped back to Weiss, mouth open in shock. "How can she not?" But Weiss was suddenly barraged by the pinches of a streaming crowd, and she twisted wildly while shoving her way out.

"Lawsuit," she muttered, smoothing out the wrinkles in her sleeves. "Lawsuit punishable by a year's worth of detention."

"That's not a sporting way to celebrate Saint Patrick's Day."

She saw Blake sitting by a bed of clovers at the edge of campus. Blake had peeked up from her quintessential book-in-hand, deadpan as usual and addressing Weiss from beneath the drooping brim of a giant green sunhat.

It took a moment for Weiss to process. "You're not wearing your bow."

"And you're a genius," said Blake. "Only twenty-eight people have said that to me since I got up this morning."

Weiss sighed. "Well, you clearly know about this…Saint Patrick's Day, which I imagine is some national celebration I've never heard about," she said. "So tell me, Blake. Why is everyone wearing green? In fact, when did you even get that hat? I've never seen it on you."

Blake ducked her head, gaze shifting to the side. "I got it with Yang," she mumbled.

Before the dread could hit, Weiss felt an extremely hard pinch on her neck. She yelped, spinning around to see the innocent smile of her teammate.

"Yang Xiao Long, that wasn't fair! I didn't even hear you coming!"

"Great. That means all those stealth lessons are paying off." Yang leaned to Blake and clicked her tongue, shooting off an imaginary gun. Blake was still hidden behind her book, but her eyes narrowed softly.

"Well, I still don't know what today's green is all about," said Weiss. "And I'm sick of being punished for that!"

"Come on, Weiss, it's all in good fun," said Yang. "Besides, I went easy on you."

"Well, you're not wearing green either!" said Weiss, scanning her up and down. "So I get to pinch you!"

"Ah ah," said Yang, holding up a hand to Weiss mid-lunge. "Check." She lifted a knee, straightening her leg to reveal the cotton lining bunched above her boot.

"Green socks? That is so unattractive," insisted Weiss.

"But it grants me immunity," said Yang smoothly, shrugging as she planted her foot back on the gray brick road. "If you don't want to be a shut-in today, make your way back to the dorm and put on something green. Then you will be pinch-free."

"That means running through another gauntlet of my peers!" said Weiss.

"Good luck with that. Come on, Blake, you wanted to go to that museum today."

Blake stood then, slipping a bookmark between the pages. When the book lowered, Weiss saw a tiny smile went along with Blake's averted eyes. She joined Yang's side and they started their way off campus. Weiss began walking the other direction. A moment later she heard an "Ow!" and a smack. Weiss turned to see Yang crouched defensively, hands up as Blake towered over her with the book in the air.

"So you bypassed me once," Blake said. "Don't make me hit you again."

"Wouldn't dream of it," Yang replied.

They continued walking, Blake rubbing a hand over the back of her shorts. Soon Weiss was alone. She regarded the school, estimating how many students were outside the building.

"Hey, Weiss," said Ruby.

Weiss startled at her partner's sudden appearance. She didn't know where Ruby had come from. The younger girl rocked on the balls of her feet, looking Weiss from head to toe. "So, I heard you weren't wearing green today."

"Who told you that?"

"A lot of people. Indirectly. They were running around saying it."

Weiss groaned through her teeth, spinning on her heel. "Hey," said Ruby, more impatiently than usual. "Don't you know what day it is?"

"Saint Potter's Day," said Weiss, arms bending in exasperation. "Patrick's Day. Something. But I don't know what it is, or why it's so important to wear green!"

Her fingers were shaking. Ruby thought about what was in front of her.

"Did your family not tell you about it?"

"_No._ Obviously."

Weiss's arms were crossed now, hands close to the elbows. Ruby paused before speaking again. "It's just a fun little thing," she said, waving her wrist. "There was this really important guy from a really long time ago, and to remember him, we turned him into a holiday. And he was associated with the color green, and at some point someone thought it would be fun to make it so that if you don't wear green, people get to pinch you."

"That's not fun. That's bizarre," said Weiss.

Ruby fiddled with the bottle cap she'd pinned to her blouse. "A lot of things about holidays are bizarre," she said. "Like how we all get together to be thankful for what we have, and then camp outside a store in time for a clearance sale."

"I never participated in such a thing," said Weiss primly.

Ruby cocked her head at the sight of Weiss standing so tightly into herself. "Did your family not celebrate many things?"

"We had annual celebrations," said Weiss, a shoulder rising. "Some of the more known holidays. And mandatory celebrations, for family-based things. But I never noticed anything different for…Saint Patrick's Day. I was homeschooled before I went to Beacon, okay?"

There was another moment of silence. Ruby moved closer to Weiss. "Not you too, you dunce!" said Weiss, jumping back. "I just told you I didn't know what it was!"

"Weiss, wait, I'm gonna get some green on you," said Ruby.

They both blinked, and Ruby turned to the bed of clovers. She bent to the little plants and plucked one from its roots, sliding off the dirt that came along. "Any green counts," she said with a shrug, before she went to Weiss's side and lifted her tiara. The stem slid under neatly, twining into Weiss's hair. Ruby lowered the tiara, making sure the clover poked out. It did, giving Weiss a pass for the day. Ruby stepped back, contemplating the scene. Weiss slowly felt the clover between her fingertips.

"Oh, hey," said Ruby, looking amused. "That one has four leaves. Those are supposed to be good luck."

Weiss faltered, taking note of Ruby's pleased face. A second later they heard a squawk. They jolted, turning in the direction of the noise.

"Did you finally go green, Weiss?" Nora yelled from fifty feet away, a pair of binoculars in her hands. "That's great! Now everyone will leave you alone!"

Before either girl could reply Ruby's pocket buzzed. She pulled out her scroll to see Blake's face cast across its screen. Ruby clicked a button to answer it on speaker.

"Hello?"

"Ruby, tell your sister that an 'enhanced partnership' is not grounds to continually break the rule against pinching people in green on Saint Patrick's Day."

Someone was laughing loudly on the other end of the line. Ruby sucked her lips in before responding.

"Just don't get in trouble for public indecency again."

"Do you mean making out?" said Weiss.

"Yes, I mean making out," whispered Ruby, turning off the scroll right as Blake let out another hiss.

They returned to campus, Weiss pointing directly at her clover whenever someone approached.


End file.
